Toy



y-24,1 J.KLARKE 2,118,249

TOY

Filed April 26, 1937 INVENTOR. JOSEPH KLAEKE.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY Joseph Klarke, Mishawaka, Ind.,

assignor to 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in toys, and has for its primary object to provide a novel toy construction adaptedto utilize a field of static electricity as means for actuating a movable part.

A further object is to provide a toy having a freely movable part energized in an erratic manner indeterminable in advance by an electrical field.

A further object is to provide a toy having a surface adapted for creation of a field of static electricity by friction, and associated means for retaining a member energized by said field within the influence of said field.

A further object is to provide a novel toy which is simple in construction and operation.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toy.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the toy when positioned at right angles to the position in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of a modified embodiment of the toy.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a part of the toy.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, the numeral Ill designates a frame formed of any suitable material, such as sheet metal, to provide a base portion II and parallel side walls I2 extending perpendicularly from said base portion. Frame Ill has connected thereto a pair of cylindrical members I3 provided with longitudinally extending radial grooves I4 into which the ends of base portion II of frame I0 fit. A sheet I5 of rubber is positioned between side Walls I2, and is stretched between cylinders I3 and passed therearound for insertion of its end portions I6 into grooves I4. The walls I2 are of a height to project above the sheet I5 a substantial distance, and base portion II is of slightly greater width than the length of cylinders I3. Grooves I 4 are of a width to tightly receive and retain the ends oi the rubber sheet I5 and base portion II and thereby frictionally connect the parts in operative relation.

A pith ball I! forms a freely movable part associated with the toy. Thus, by rubbing the sheet I5 several times, as by the hand and particularly by the back of the finger nails, a field of static electricity is created. By applying the pith ball IT to the toy after this field has been created, the ball is caused to move in a very erratic movement as long as the strength of the field subsists. The toy may be positioned for support by cylinders I3 with sheet I5 horizontal, as illustrated in Fig. 2;

or may be supported by one of the sides I2 with sheet I5 vertically positioned, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The electrical field serves to energize and shift the ball I! in either of these positions. Thus, when positioned with sheet I5 horizontal, the ball I'I will move horizontally on the sheet in an erratic and unpredictable manner having both lateral and longitudinal components. When the device is positioned with sheet I5 vertical, the ball is caused to move under the influence of the 10 electrical field in a substantially bouncing vertical manner with varying components of longitudinal movement.

While the greatest need for retention of the ball as it moves under the influence of the elec- 5 trical field is met by the side walls I2, it may be desirable to provide retaining means at the ends of the device to prevent the ball from longitudinal movement to a point beyond the sphere or area of the electrical field of the device. For this purpose, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, end walls may be provided, formed by narrow flanges I8 projecting from the ends of side walls I2 and bent to transverse relation to sheet I5. It is desirable that these flanges I8 extend adjacent 25 the sheet I5 and be sufficiently narrow to minimize interference with the frictional rubbing of said sheet, the height of said sheet being preferably just sufiicient to prevent ball I! from moving longitudinally away from the device and the electrical field.

If desired, suitable score indicating means may be provided on the device. Thus, in Fig. 1, I have illustrated an arrangement wherein one of the side walls I2 is provided with a plurality of trans- 35 verse linear marks I9 defining areas on its inner face whose scoring value is designated by indicia 20. In other words, when the device is positioned with the sheet I5 vertical and the ball is applied and subjected to the influence of the electrical field, the ball will move as above defined until the strength of the field weakens to an extent which is insufiicient to further energize the ball, and the score for that operation is determined by the particular indicia 20 in the area at which the ball comes to rest. A second scoring arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 2 for use when the device is positioned with sheet I5 horizontal. Thus, certain areas of sheet I5 are outlined by lines or marks 2I, and indicia 22 designate the scoring value of a play when the ball I! comes to rest within the area defined by a mark 2|.

It is well known that there are various substances which can be rubbed to produce static electricity. It will be obvious, therefore, that my toy is susceptible of modification to utilize such substances for that purpose in place of the rubber sheet here described and illustrated.

I claim:-

1. A toy comprising a pair of supports, a substantially U-shaped frame carried by said supports, a member tensioned between said supports and positioned between the sides of said frame, and having an electrical field, and an object influenced by said field for free movement on said member and retained by said frame, said member holding said supports in operative relation to said frame.

2. A toy comprising a frame having opposed walls, a flexible member between said walls adapted to be rubbed to create static electricity, a support for each end of said frame, said support mounting said flexible member, a member freely movable under the influence of said static electricity, at least one of said walls bearing scoring indicia.

3. A toy comprising a rigid U-shaped frame, a pair of spaced supports, and a rubber sheet positioned between intermediate portions of opposed sides of said frame, said frame and sheet extending between said supports.

4. A toy comprising a U-shaped frame, a pair of grooved supports, and a rubber sheet, the ends of said frame and said sheet being inserted in said grooves, said sheet extending around said supports and therebetween to hold said supports in operative relation to the ends of said frame.

JOSEPH KLARKE.

Cit 

